The Department of Health and Human Services says an eastern Nebraska woman is believed to have contracted the chikungunya virus during a recent visit to Haiti. The woman, who was younger than 25, was hospitalized and later released.

Nebraska's chief medical officer, Dr. Joseph Acierno, says the disease is fairly uncommon in the United States but will likely increase in the coming years. Deaths from the virus are rare, but the pain can be severe and debilitating.

DHHS says outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Europe, Asia and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no mosquitoes that carry the virus have been found in the United States.

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